Frame member



Ap 1963 J. M. ADAMS ETAL FRAME MEMBER 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed May 20.1959 FIG. 2

INVENTORS JOHN M. ADAMS WILLIAM F DALTON JACK acummmcs FRANCIS C.GAUDETBY jl Lit/L ATTORNEY April 1953 J. M. ADAMS ETAL 3,085,664

FRAME MEMBER Filed May 20'. 1959 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 A ril 16, 1963 J. M.ADAMS ETAL 3,0

FRAME MEMBER Filed May 20. 1959 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 FIG. 6

April 16, 1963 J. M. ADAMS ETAL FRAME MEMBER 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed May20. 1959 3,085,664 Patented Apr. 16, 1963 ice 3,085,664 FRAME MEMBERJohn M. Adams, Staatsburg, Jack E. Cummings, Wappingers Falls, WilliamF. Dalton, Fishkill, and Francis C. Gaudet, Wappingers Falls, N.Y.,assigners to International Business Machines Corporation, New York,N.Y., a corporation of New York Filed May 20, 1959, Ser. No. 814,534 1tllaim. (Cl. 189-34) This invention relates to a machine frame memberand more particularly to a metal member the configuration of which formsa flush framing for cover and door openings.

In the past, frames for devices such as business machines have had tosacrifice appearance for strength. Most machine frames are made of angleiron or square tubing which resulted in the covers being fastened to theframes by visible bolts or latches. Also in most instances the covers inorder to form a machine pleasing to the eye had to cover the frames thusadding bulk to the machine.

It is therefore the principle object of the invention to provide a framemember that forms a framing for covers and the like without sacrificingstrength.

A further object of the invention is to provide a frame member whichwhen assembled in a prescribed manner provides means to complete an airtight joint between cover and frame.

Another object of the invention is to provide a frame member theconfiguration of which permits the covers of a machine to be easilypositioned within the frame thus reducing the bulk.

The frame member of the invention is so formed that when assembled intoa six sided frame such as a cube or rectangle, there are two faces thatpresent an angle iron with a depressed flange, two faces that form aflat border with a depressed channel and a top and bottom that combineboth features. The depressed angle iron permits the use of a flat coverwith inturned flanged edges that are provided with rubber gaskets. Theflanges and gaskets are such that when the cover is in place the outeredge of the frame member and the surface of the cover are flush. Theframed channel provides a similar condition for a flanged door and inaddition the base of the channel and the gasket form an air and dusttight seal.

The foregoing and other objects, features and advantages of theinvention will be apparent from the following more particulardescription of preferred embodiments of the invention, as illustrated inthe accompanying drawings.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is an isometric view of the preferred form for a corner of theframe with a portion thereof in phantom to more clearly show theinvention.

FIG. 2 is an exploded showing of FIG. 1 partially broken away.

FIG. 3 is an isometric view showing a modified form of corner weldpartially in phantom.

FIG. 4 is an exploded view of FIG. 3 partially broken away.

FIG. 5 is a plan view of the frame with a cover panel in place.

FIG. 6 is a cross section taken along line 6-6 at FIG. 7.

FIG. 7 is an elevation view of a corner of the frame with a door panelin place.

FIG. 8 is a cross section taken along line 8--8 of FIG. 5.

FIG. 9 is an isometric view of the invention in use.

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2 wherein the preferred form of the inventionis shown the members 10, 11 and 12 are all of the same configuration,i.e., a hollow square tube with one side out and that side rotatedthrough to form a 2 with a tail. For the purpose of simplifying thespecification and claims the shape will be referred to hereinafter as aZ. The members are so shaped and dimensioned that the configuration issuch that a channel 14 is formed of a web 15 having side walls orflanges 16 and 17 as shown in FIG. 1 that are substantiallyperpendicular with respect to the web. Formed on the sidewall 17 is aflange 18 that extends perpendicularly from wall 17 and is substantiallyparallel to the web 15. This flange greatly stitfens the member. Thewall 16 is formed narrower than the wall 17 for a purpose to beexplained hereinafter.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 the members 10-, 11 and 12 are cut and weldedalong lines 204.7 inclusive to form a strong rigid corner for a box ormachine frame. Members 10 and 11 are joined to form a horizontal frameby butt welding the walls 17 at 20 and welding the flange 18 of member10- to the flange 18 and wall 17 of member 11 along line 21. The face ofweb 15 of member 10 is welded to the cutaway end of web 15 of member 11along line 22.

The member 12 is secured to the corner of the horizontal frame formed ofmembers 10 and 11 by butt welding flange 18 of member 12 to wall 17member 11 along line 23. The bottom edge of wall 17 of member 12 is buttwelded to the wall 17 of member 10 along line 24. The back edge of wall17 of member 12 is cutaway along line 25 to accommodate the front end ofweb 15 of member 10 to which it is welded. The base of web 15 of member12 is butt welded along area 26 to the web of member 10' and the twowalls 16 of member 10 and 12 are welded along line 27. This forms aframe in which channel 14 is continuous in the front surface as shown inFIGS. 7 and 8.

In FIGS. 3 and 4 are shown members 30, 31 and 32 that are weldedtogether in a modified manner to form a corner similar to that above. Inthis instance the walls 17 of the members 30 and 31 are mitered in placeof square cut and the two members are welded along lines 33, 34 and35 toform a horizontal frame. At line 33 the members are butt welded and atlines 34 and 35 the faces of web 15 and flange 18 of member 30 arewelded to the ends of the same parts of member 31. The bottom end ofmember 32 is welded to the face of wall 17 of member 30 in the areas 36and 37. The cutaway edge of wall 17 is welded to the face of web 15 ofmember 30 along area 38. The lower edge of web 15 of member 32 is buttwelded along area 39 formed by the cutaway edge of wall 16 of member 30and the lower face of wall 16 is welded along line 40 to the cutaway endof wall 16 of member 30. Here again the channel 14 is completed bymembers 30 and 32 and will provide, as will be described, a dust freeseal with a door or doors of sheet metal or the like.

In FIGS. 5 and 6 such a frame and cover combination is shown. The flange18 forms a frame for an aperture in which is fitted a cover 41. Thecover is formed with inturned flanges 42 around the outer edges whichare adapted to fit the channel 14. A strip 43 of rubber or the likeformed as shown in FIG. '6' has a slot 44 therein adapted to engage andbe fastened by cement or other well known means to the flange 42. Thestrip being hollow spreads out and forms an air tight seal with the web15 and walls 16 and 17 of the frame. It will be noted that the cover 41and the flange 18 are flush thus forming a smooth flat surface. Thecover may be held in the frame by any well known means (not shown) suchas spring clips and the like.

As shown in FIGS. 7 and 8 the walls 17 and flanges 18 of the framemembers 10 and 11 form a framed platform or sill for a series of doors50 formed with inturned flanges 51. Each flange is provided with alongitudinal round slot 52 into which is forced a hollow strip 53 ofrubber or other resilient material formed as shown. These strips act asbuffers and seal the separate doors along their abutting lengths at 54.They also form an air tight seal Where they contact the wall 17. Thestrips are so dimensioned that when the doors are closed the outersurface is fiush with the edge of the flanges 13. The doors are sospaced that a gap or slot 55 is formed between the edge of the door 59and flange 18 thus permitting the door to be opened by grasping theflange 51. This does away with the need of any handles or hardware tospoil the flush clean appearance of the doors. The doors may be held inthe frame by any well known (not shown) form of spring clip or the like.

From the foregoing it is apparent that a frame work formed of the Zshaped members provides a strong light and clean appearing frame withwhich simple flat doors and covers can be assembled to form a simple airtight structure. To prevent confusion and to more clearly define theinvention, the flange 15; which is one phase of the invention, forms aframe or border for the opening formed by the machine frame will bereferred to as a border in the claims.

While the invention has been particularly shown or described withreference to preferred embodiments thereof, it will be understood bythose skilled in the art that various changes in form and details may bemade therein without eparting from the spirit and scope of theinvention.

What is claimed is:

A frame for a machine comprising:

a plurality of members each having a cross section including a channelformed by a bottom surface and first and second side walls extending atright angles from said bottom surface, and a flange extending at rightangles from said first wall in a direction away from said second wall,said flange and first side wall forming a sill;

a first group of four of said members being secured together to form arectangular side of said frame wherein the first side walls of themembers of said first group lie in the same plane and the flanges of themembers of said first group extend outward from 45 said plane in samedirection to form a contlnuous rectangular sill along the outerperiphery of said rectangle;

a first cover having inturned edges adapted to engage said sill of saidfirst group to form a dustproof seal, the top surface of said firstcover being flush with the extended edge of the flanges of the membersof said first group;

a second group of four of said members being secured together in thesame manner as said first group form ing an opposing side of said framewith the flanges of each member of said second group extending away fromsaid first group;

a first pair of said members each having their ends secured tocorresponding corners of said first and second groups, said cornersbeing selected to be adjacent corners in said first and second groupsthereby forming another rectangular side of said frame including saidfirst pair of members and the member of each of said first and secondgroups located between said adjacent corners, said first pair of membersbeing arranged so that the flanges of the four members of saidlast-mentioned side are all located in the same plane forming arectangular border, and the channels of the four members of saidlastment-ioned side form a continuous rectangular channel on the insideof said rectangular border;

a second cover having inturned edges adapted to engage said rectangularchannel to form a dustproof seal, the top surface of said second coverbeing flush with said border;

a second pair of said members each having their ends secured to theother corresponding corners of said first and second groups in the samemanner as said first pair, thereby forming another side of said frameopposite the side including said first pair of members;

a third cover for covering a side of said frame including one memberfrom each of said first and second pairs, and first and second groups,said third cover adapted to engage the two sills presented by saidlast-mentioned members of said first and second pairs, and said thirdcover adapted to engage the two channels presented by saidlast-mentioned members of said first and second groups to form adustproof seal.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS

